BCS Standings Top 10 Reactions, Week 12

On Sunday night the new BCS standings were released. As expected, there have been some drastic changes after the dramatic upsets of Week 12. For the first time since 2001, three teams in the top five of the BCS standings lost in the same weekend. Now we are left with three teams from the SEC West fighting not only for a division title, but a shot to play for the national championship.

You can check out a rundown of the Top 10 below, with some thoughts from our College Football Bloggers. For a full breakdown of the Top 25 teams in the BCS formula, you can check out the comprehensive standings.

1. LSU:How pretty are the Tigers sitting? As a unanimous No. 1 in both BSC polls and the consensus No. 1 across the computer rankings, it's possible that LSU could lose this week's showdown with No. 3 Arkansas and still go to New Orleans for a BCS title shot. It might take a little help -- like Georgia upending the Hogs or Alabama in the SEC title game, or voters ranking the three hypothetical SEC West champs in a way that sends the Tigers to Atlanta -- but when you have this much power consolidated at the top of the BCS standings, that's the kind of advantage you earn. - Jerry Hinnen

2. Alabama: Just win, baby. Thanks to this past weekend's widespread BCS carnage, the Tide have come all the way back from their home loss to LSU to control their own national championship destiny. Defeat bitter Iron Bowl rivals Auburn this week, and they'll be all but a lock for a national title shot in the event of an LSU win ... and if Arkansas pulls the shocker and the BCS shakeout sends the Tide to Atlanta to face the Dawgs, a win there would do the trick just as well. At this point, it's hard to construct a scenario -- a dominating Oklahoma State win over Oklahoma paired with a lackluster showing vs. Auburn seems the only remotely feasible one -- in which the Tide win out and don't play for it all. - JH

3. Arkansas: Remember when the Razorbacks were going to take a sizable step back after the departure of Ryan Mallett? Instead the Hogs have climbed to BCS heights even Mallett couldn't touch, with only one win standing between Bobby Petrino's team and the sort of total standings chaos that could give them a crack at their first BCS title. Of course, that win is going to be the single hardest win to come by in college football this season: against LSU in Baton Rouge. And even with a win, the Hogs' chances would depend (and depend heavily) on how voters ranked the three SEC West teams locked in their unbreakable tie atop the division. But whatever happens vs. the Tigers, this 2011 season has proven beyond a doubt that Petrino's program isn't going anywhere as a national power. - JH

4. Oklahoma State:This is probably the best Oklahoma State could have hoped for following its loss to Iowa State. The Cowboys caught a huge break on Saturday with Oregon losing, but Oklahoma's loss hurt it as much as it helped to keep the Cowboys in the top four. Now if Oklahoma State beats Oklahoma to finish the season, it may not mean as much. In other words, the biggest Auburn and LSU fans next weekend may reside in Stillwater. - Tom Fornelli

5. Virginia Tech:The Hokies may not pass the "eye test" as the fourth best team in the nation for some, but Virginia Tech's ability to close out opponents on their current six-game winning streak kept them moving up while the competition falls. There have been hiccups, like the 14-10 victory over Duke, but Frank Beamer reaches double-digit wins for the eighth straight season with the win over North Carolina. But maintaining this top ranking will be no cakewalk, as the Hokies travel to Charlottesville to face in-state rival Virginia with a berth to the ACC Championship Game on the line. - Chip Patterson

6. Stanford:The Pac-12's only one-loss team is sixth in the latest standings yet can still be shut out of a BCS bowl this season. They'll need two of the trio of Arkansas, Oklahoma State and Virginia Tech to lose so they can slide into the top four and ensure they're headed somewhere (likely the Fiesta). A home game against a ranked Notre Dame team this week should provide a nice boost in the final standings. - Bryan Fischer

7. Boise State:While the Broncos' toughest heartbreak undoubtedly was the loss to TCU at home a week ago, the upset specials in Week 12 twisted the knife for Boise State fans. As top teams in the nation fell one-by-one, Kellen Moore and the Broncos had to be thinking "what if" as arguably their best opportunity to move into the top 2 of the BCS standings occurs a week after their first home loss under Chris Petersen. Boise State's only hope now is for more teams to fall in the final two weeks, allowing the Broncos to sneak into an at-large bid. - CP

8. Houston:If college football made sense then Houston would be ranked second right now, as it's the only other undefeated team in the FBS along with LSU right now. Unfortunately, the BCS isn't about a level playing ground for all, and if an undefeated Boise State team or TCU team weren't good enough in recent seasons, then Houston doesn't have a chance. I mean, it's already 10-0 and it's just now cracking the top ten. - TF

9. Oklahoma:The Sooners may still be in the top ten of the BCS, but this team's title chances are gone. There's really nothing that can happen at this point that will move the Sooners from 9th to the top two over the final weeks. Still, Oklahoma still has a Big 12 title to play for which would sent it to the Fiesta Bowl. Something it has to win to reach the BCS this January because another loss against Iowa State or Oklahoma State will ruin any chance for an at-large bid. - TF

10. Oregon:The Ducks fell six spots after their home loss to USC and are out of the national title race but remain in the top 10. They still control their destiny in the Pac-12 race and are looking at a likely trip to Pasadena for the Rose Bowl against an average Big Ten opponent. With plenty of games to be played, Oregon can rebound and move back up in the rankings by the end of the season with two mediocre - at best - Pac-12 opponents left on the schedule. - BF

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BCS Standings Top 10 Reactions, Week 12

hornedfrog18, i agree with you 100%. who is to say that houston cant beat lsu in 1 game. i seem to recall a few upsets in thepast. okla lost to boise st. alabama lost to utah. in the college pickem last week, clemson-98% pick loss, ore picked by 93% loss, fl st-94% picked loss, okla-96% pic lost. it sure seems to me that a whole bunch of people (including me) cant pick winners. any team that puts up numbers like houston should at least get a shot. if so many people are wrong last week, who is to say they may be wrong again. checked the standings on the pickem last week and 1 guy picked 6 of 7 winners of the underdogs. maybe we should let him set uo the bowl games.

Since: Dec 9, 2008

Posted on: November 21, 2011 1:50 pm

BCS Standings Top 10 Reactions, Week 12

2 wins 1 loss(forgot you want a mulligan) if sec gets its way and lsu loses in the championship game, do they get a mulligan also?. will they go for 2 of 3. oh wait lsu wins and then bama wants 3 out of 5. but then bama wins and lsu will want best of 7. where i come from if you snooze you lose, and a couple of those teams are going to end up 3rd and 4th in their conf .

Since: Nov 7, 2008

Posted on: November 21, 2011 1:20 pm

BCS Standings Top 10 Reactions, Week 12

By that logic then neither has LSU, since aside from Oregon, Alabama has played essentially the same schedule with Penn State, once the regular season is done. Unless you are saying that the only way to have played anyone was to have a brutal non-conference schedule outside of the SEC, perhaps Boise, Southern Methodist and Portland State would make for playing a great schedule.

Since: Nov 7, 2008

Posted on: November 21, 2011 1:09 pm

BCS Standings Top 10 Reactions, Week 12

OSU Jack and Sooner 87,

What scenario would you have play out with the current BCS standings? This is what we have. If we went to a playoff, and the teams had to line up and play, assuming an eight or ten team bracket, you would get:

LSU vs 10. Oregon (rematch, which I am guessing most are opposed to)

Alabama vs 9. Oklahoma

Arkansas vs 8. Houston

OK State vs 7. Boise

Virginia Tech vs 6. Stanford

That is also assuming the BCS would create the ranking structure. Else then it would be based on conference championships and we will still likely be in this type of argument, because one would say something to the effect that, LSU beat Alabama, how in the world can they play for the conference championship.

I would like to hear or read what you all think would be a viable solution

Since: Mar 25, 2008

Posted on: November 21, 2011 12:52 pm

BCS Standings Top 10 Reactions, Week 12

Do we really want to see another 9-6 boring game for a National championship? OSU vs any of the 3 SEC teams would make a better game.

Since: Oct 29, 2008

Posted on: November 21, 2011 12:31 pm

BCS Standings Top 10 Reactions, Week 12

With the SEC cornering the national championship...this screams playoff more than any other season. The SEC didn't have the top non-conference record, so how do we know that any of them would be a top team from the other conferences. Easy answer...you don't! You have to play it out on the field other wise its left to all the opinions around the country in the media to decide.

No one can just arbitrarily say that the SEC would win otherwise we wouldn't have seen Alabama lose to Utah in years past. Play it out on the field.

I'm not saying that LSU or Alabama aren't the best...I'm saying that they are beatable...both have average offenses. &nbsp;

Since: Apr 13, 2008

Posted on: November 21, 2011 10:18 am

BCS Standings Top 10 Reactions, Week 12

Alabama has played nobody???3 games = Penn State, Arkansas, LSU...

What the hell have you been drinking?

Since: Oct 23, 2008

Posted on: November 21, 2011 9:36 am

BCS Standings Top 10 Reactions, Week 12

BTW talk about playing nobody - the only good team that Alabama has played was LSU and they lost in a game with no offense. Look at the other teams they have played this year the rest of the SEC stinks and their other games included the University of North Texas - what a joke. Alabama would have at least two or three losses if they were in the Big 12. Pitiful.

Since: Oct 23, 2008

Posted on: November 21, 2011 9:30 am

BCS Standings Top 10 Reactions, Week 12

I agree with you Houston should be higher in the standings but then so should TCU - how is it that they knock off Boise State and yet Boise State is still ranked over 10 spots higher. It is all SEC controlled BS. Houston should be in the National Championship game - you guys have had a hell of a season.

Since: Jun 15, 2008

Posted on: November 21, 2011 7:20 am

BCS Standings Top 10 Reactions, Week 12

"Houston:If college football made sense then Houston would be ranked second right now, as it's the only other undefeated team in the FBS along with LSU right now." This is a quote from the article above. You are joking right?? Are you part of the PC crowd that has infected your ability to reason and really think? If this is your basis for determining a team's credentials in a BCS National Championship game, then let's punt the conferences and let all the teams work on schedules to play every "cream puff" they can find!! If there isn't going to be a playoff system then this is the best we got and it's NOT about putting an ok team into the championship because their one accomplish is that they won all their games!!!